Carmilla
by foggraven
Summary: Live forever and suffer, die as one, together as lovers
1. Chapter 1 - The Order

tentative title: Carmilla

An: This is a crossover for The webseries Carmilla a modern retelling of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's gothic novel. I've been wanting to write this for awhile so enjoy.

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After the meeting had finally ended and his run in with Mrs. Black Harry found himself following his godfather to the bottom of the stairs and through a door into the basement kitchen.

It was just as gloomy as the hall above, a cavernous room with rough stone walls. Heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling.  
An assortment of chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of the room, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags.

Tonks was showing something to a young, pretty woman he didn't recognize and Mr. Weasley and his eldest son, Bill, were talking quietly with their heads together at the end of the table.

They jumped as Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat.

"Harry!" Mr. Weasley said, hurrying forward and out of Molly's direct line of sight to greet him, shaking his hand vigorously and leaving Bill to quail under his mother's glare. "Good to see you!" Over his shoulder Harry saw Bill hastily rolling up the lengths of parchment left on the table."Journey all right, Harry?" he called, trying to gather up twelve scrolls at once. "Mad-Eye didn't make you come via Greenland, then?"

"He tried," said Tonks, who'd finished whatever she was doing before and was now striding over to help Bill and immediately sent a candle toppling onto the last piece of parchment. "Oh no — sorry —"

"Here, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, sounding exasperated, and she repaired the parchment with a wave of her wand. In the flash of light caused by her charm, Harry caught a glimpse of what looked like the plan of a building.

Mrs. Weasley must have seen him looking because she snatched the plan off the table and stuffed it into Bill's heavily laden arms.

"This sort of thing ought to be cleared away promptly at the end of meetings," she snapped before sweeping off toward an ancient dresser from which she started unloading dinner plates. Bill took out his wand and muttered a chastised "Evanesco!" and the scrolls vanished.

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After Sirius's rather awkward introduction of Mundungus he turned to the woman who had been talking with Tonks.

She was of middling height, light brown hair falling around a smiling face. She was also very pretty and possessed an inner warmth that only served to enhance her loveliness.

"That's Laura Hollis, she and her friend were visiting Britain and ran into Dumbledore."

Turning back to Harry Sirius wiggled his eyebrows, "she's pretty isn't she." Harry blushed trying to stutter out a response while Sirius let out a bark of laughter, "don't worry she's a bit old for you anyway and she's already taken."

Sirius scratched Crookshanks absentmindedly as they continued with thankfully less embarrassing topics.

During a lull in conversation Mrs. Weasley turned from what she was doing to call out over her shoulder, "Sirius you haven't seen Carmilla have you? Laura dear do you know if she up? she's usually awake by now."

Just as the words left her mouth the door opened and in came a woman yawning, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

Whereas Laura wore comfortable clothes, simple but good looking, she was dressed like something from the night, cloaked in dark cloths, leather pants all but painted onto her legs.

Mrs. Weasley turned to her as she entered, "Oh, Carmilla dear there you are we were wondering where you'd got to."

She seemed to nod vaguely in her direction before going to sit next to Laura, plonking herself down sitting stretched out on her chair like a cat.

Nodding to the newcomer Sirius took it upon himself to enlighten him, "that's Carmilla, she's that friend of Laura's I was talking about."

As Sirius opened his mouth to continue they heard Mrs. Weasley shriek, "Fred — George — NO, JUST CARRY THEM!"

They had a split second of warning as the large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, hurtled through the air towards them.

They had just managed to dive away from the table, when the butterbeer spilled everywhere and the stew came skidding down the length of the table coming to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface.

The knife however missed the table entirely flying through the air towards them. Suddenly a moment before it hit Carmilla was there arm outstretched. The knife in her hand quivering ominously an inch from Sirius's crotch.

They all stared for a moment before Mrs. Weasley turned on her sons.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Mrs. Weasley. "THERE WAS NO NEED — I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS — JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward. "Sorry Sirius, mate — didn't mean to —"

Sirius face had gone pale white and he seemed to be in shock, staring down between his legs before letting out a faint croak before fainting.

Harry hastily set about reviving him while Mundungus, who had toppled backward off his chair, let loose a long string of curses as he got to his feet. Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from whence his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

Carmilla meanwhile retreated back across the table to her seat earlier alertness gone, yawning and twirling the knife she'd plucked from the air idly between her fingers.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age —"

"— none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins, slamming a fresh flagon of butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met!

Percy —" She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

"Let's eat," said Bill quickly.

"It looks wonderful, Molly," said Lupin, ladling stew onto a plate for her and handing it across the table.

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For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food though Carmilla didn't seem to be in the mood for it, barely touching her food.

Part way through their meal Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius and said, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it before we let it out."

"Whatever you like," said Sirius indifferently.

"The curtains in there are full of doxies too," Mrs. Weasley went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."

"I look forward to it." Harry heard the sarcasm in his voice, but he was not sure that anyone else did.

Across the table he notice Laura nudging Carmilla. After a minute she seemed to give in, a look of fond exasperation on her face, "fine," then speaking up, "Molly I can take care of whatever's in the desk."

"Are you sure dear? I know your capable but well..."

As he watched Carmilla rolled her eyes but there was no real feeling in the gesture, "your concern's touching but I'll be fine."

"Well if your sure then, I'll leave it to you."

Harry watched with interest, was she some kind of Dark arts expert? she certainly looked the part.

He considered the idea as Tonks entertained Hermione and Ginny opposite him by transforming her nose between mouthfuls. Apparently it was a regular mealtime entertainment, because after a while they started requesting favourites.

Mr. Weasley, Bill, and Lupin meanwhile were having an intense discussion about goblins.

Another glance their way revealed that Laura seemed to be eating off of her friends plate, mouth full of food smiling up as Carmilla made a face.

He smiled at the sight before turning back to his own food.

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	2. Chapter 2 - Something Odd About Carmilla

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There was something odd about Carmilla.

Harry had noticed that she didn't usually wake up until the late afternoon at the earliest, but as far as her oddities went this was probably one of the more trivial. He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was but there was something unusual about her. There were a lot of little things he noticed but none particularly damming and she seemed decent enough. Besides Dumbledore trusted her and while Harry's feelings towards the man at the moment were less than cordial he nonetheless trusted his judgment.

Nothing nefarious might be involved – a startling change from normal but he and the others couldn't help but be curious about her. Somewhat distant at times she could be snarky and had a rather dark sense of humour, but despite this she seemed to have no trouble interacting with others or making friends and was well liked by just about everyone, even Snape to their amazement was grudgingly cordial.

While her companion was American and she had lived in the states for the last several years at least, Laura had let slip that she'd been born in Styria, Austria. Perhaps that might have had something to do with what they were doing in Europe?

They'd learned something else interesting, this time from McGonagall funnily enough when Hermione had asked their visiting transfiguration teacher a question, both foreigners shared their professors rare ability to take the shape of an animal. Hermione had later apparently checked the international register only to find neither but Sirius had reassured them that the number of unregistered Animagi far outweighed those who did. Apparently the trend had been started by a particularly paranoid group of Germans from an underground transfiguration movement sometime ago.

They'd discussed it and had a niggling feeling her form was a cat of some kind, there was a definite resemblance in the way she moved and the way she liked to lazily sprawl herself out over whatever furniture she occupied.

The feline resemblance could also be found prominently in one other places. Carmilla walked without making a sound and seemed to enjoy making them all jump by appearing out of nowhere. Amazingly enough she'd even got Mad-Eye once, who'd promptly half jumped out of skin and begun hexing everything in sight swearing loudly. He'd been even twitchier since.

Something the twins had found out to their detriment was that it was also impossible to catch her off guard, any pranks they attempted blowing up in their faces. After failing spectacularly to catch her unawares they'd decided to bide their time and Harry sometimes swore he saw her smiling across the room when the twins began whispering in hushed voices, brainstorming on how to catch her unawares.

She ate but not much or often. Mostly she seemed content to steal Laura's food much to the shorter witch's ire. And that was another thing, she seemed very close with the other girl even if she had a borderline sadomasochistic penchant for riling her up. They were close friends of course so it made sense but somehow the word just seemed... wrong, incorrect somehow when used to refer to them. It was subtle but it was like if someone had called a sea and ocean or an ocean a sea, similar but different somehow.

In any case Carmilla was interesting enigma and talking about her was a halfway decent way to pass the time while cleaning the few things that didn't invariably end up trying to kill them.

Rather than cleaning up, it felt more like they were raging war against the house and the house was almost wining. Not only did they have to deal with pests and other nasty creatures, but also several hostile pieces of furniture, artefacts that were most likely dark in nature - something Carmilla and Moody had later confirmed , traps set up by Sirius's lovely mother - like that biting silver snuffbox that contained wartpowder, and of course, Kreacher. Said house elf was constantly sneaking around where ever they were cleaning, and trying to salvage anything he could. It was unfortunate they couldn't just get rid of him, since the old deranged house elf was really starting to get on everybody's nerves with his constant poorly concealed insults. Well, everyone except Hermione who pitied the creature and funnily enough Carmilla.

It was extremely odd but the House elf adored her and looked to her almost as if she were his god. This strange behaviour had extended to Laura as well, probably owing to her relation to Carmilla. They were all flummoxed by it but Carmilla seemed to have a fondness for him as did Laura.

Sirius had happily acquiesced, downright giddy when she'd offered to take him off his hands; thus relieving him of the elf whilst keeping Kreacher from telling others about the order.

She'd allowed him to continue with his insults much to everyone's disgruntlement. She seemed to find it humorous and Kreacher delighted in pleasing his new mistress by coming up with increasingly vile and insulting things to call them.

All in all the situation with Kreacher remained much the same with the exception of his now increased rudeness.

Their only real consolation was that Carmilla, woken early one too many times had stormed downstairs in a rage before somehow managing to silence Mrs. Black's portrait before grumpily stomping back to bed. Her spell was so effective that Mrs. Black had yet to make another sound even days later.

Her friend was also interesting as was the contrast between the two. Laura was the light to Carmilla's dark. The two were almost complete opposites. Whereas Laura's hair was light Carmilla's was dark. Carmilla dressed primarily in dark colours accompanied by the occasional touch of white. Laura dressed in mostly light colours. If Laura with her cheerful nature could be considered like the sun, then Carmilla with her more reserved outlook was like the moon. And like the moon she could at times be cold and distant whereas Laura was an almost perpetual source of positivity.

She resembled a slightly toned down Tonks allot in the way of sharing a rather kind and outgoing personality, though thankfully she seemed to lack the other witches clumsiness, though she could more than make up for it with her voracious tenacity.

Laura really didn't seem particularly strange or odd the way Carmilla did, really the strangest things about her was her tolerance of Kreacher.

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An: Kreacher's adoration of Carmilla is due to her fulfilling Regulus's final wish, yes that's right she destroyed the Locket Horcrux. As to how she knew what it was put it down to Vampire senses, as for destroying it well... I figure after all that happens in Carmilla plus the fact Carmilla herself is a powerful Dark creature that's be around for hundreds of years I think that Laura and Carmilla would be more than capable.

Next chapter the boggart. Review in with your guesses as to what it'll turn into.


	3. Chapter 3 - What I Fear Most

An: Please vote on the poll for this story on my profile, I would like your opinions on the issue.

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The days passed and eventually it was the day of the Hearing. Thankfully all had ended well and Harry had been cleared of all charges. A small party celebrating Hermione and Ron's appointment to Gryffindor prefects followed In the wake of his exoneration. Sadly the brief celebratory mood resulting from these two events was quickly surmounted by the never ending tedium of their continued efforts to in Mrs. Weasley's words, "make the place suitable for human habitation."

Thankfully they'd managed to get most of it somewhat under control and her earlier fervour seemed to have died down somewhat, something they were all grateful for.

Life at number 12 Grimmauld Place continued for the most part much the same with the occasional meeting and visiting order members. They continued to come and go, some occasionally staying for a meal or a chat.

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Eventually with a resigned air Carmilla at last made good on her promise to investigate the creature in the drawing room desk. Moody's eye for some reason had been unable to see exactly what was inside, when he'd tried to his vision had been impaired by whatever piece of magic was in place on the Desk.

Conferring with Carmilla the two had examined the piece of furniture carefully and come to the conclusion whatever was inside had probably been inadvertently or perhaps even purposely strengthened by whatever was blocking Moody's eye. Whatever was inside it would be better not to take chances and they'd decided to err on the side of caution with both being present when Carmilla dealt with whatever was inside.

Curious as to what the desk contained and lacking anything better to do most of the others had joined them to watch, though Moody at least seemed disgruntled about it.

All stood at what he deemed a "safe distance" which for the most part translated to out of the way as they began to examine the desk in detail

"Doesn't seem to be anything funny about the desk," Moody growled out.

Carmilla seemed to think about it for moment, before speaking, "whatever's blocking your eye must be inside then, perhaps a collapsed expansion charm? I've heard about all sorts of nasty things happening when they fall through, add in all the dark artefacts lying around, who knows what could have happened, there might have even been some in there originally."

"You're probably right," he swore before limping forward to wave his wand in a complicated pattern over the desks surface, "I've seen stuff like this before, nasty pieces of work."

At his words the desk rattled ominously and those watching huddled just a bit closer together. Hermione in particular was clutching onto Harry's arm tightly.

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With one last cursory check Carmilla let out an aggrieved sigh before motioning Moody back to stand next to the rest of them.

Then striding forward she'd opened it with a flick of her wrist.

As she opened the door light spilled out emanating from whatever was inside. Tendriled and smoke like it writhed and billowed and a horrible, terrible feeling filled the room. A collective shudder swept the room; it was ancient and hungry, yearning to devour.

Several agonizing moments since the lights appearance it begins to shift and slowly coalesce into the form of a woman. In looks she resembled an older Carmilla, but she was far colder and far more terrible.

Entwined languorously around the object that formed with her she let loose a single word, "Daughter."

That single word felt like ice spreading through their veins, setting their teeth on edge.  
Even more chilling the object that had appeared from the light with her.

A Laura without eyes and instead horrible gapping empty eye sockets that trickled blood gazed sightlessly out of an ornate upright glass coffin filled with blood and bound in silver chains and arcane seals, screaming soundlessly.

The blood drained from their faces and several of them retched violently.

This was Carmilla's greatest fear? It was truly horrific. The sight was beyond words.

Carmilla watched with a sort of horrified morbid curiosity, standing as still as a stone as the scene played out, seemingly unable to look away.

"Mother," she croaked.

Carmilla's mother's voice was like a sirens call, beguiling sweet and poisonously, deadly.

"Darling there's nothing for you to fight, and nothing for you to fight with."

"You my glittering girl are a diamond. Stone cannot love flesh."

Carmilla's eyes hardened, and for the first time they saw her truly angry.

With a powerful circular wiping motion of her arm a swarm of shadows like black crows scratching and clawing burst forth from her tearing and screaming as they savaged the creature who had taken the form of the eyeless Laura and Carmilla's mother.

It was every bit as terrifying as what had come before, shadowy crows filling the air, shrieking and whirling about them, and then, it was over.

Turning to them she spoke, voice as calm as ever, "You were right, It was a boggart."

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They ate lunch in an uneasy silence thinking about what they had just seen and occasionally glancing over to where Carmilla sat. Mad-eye had left before they started and Carmilla wasn't touching her food, instead only drinking occasionally from a bottle of... something. After several minutes she excused herself to go back to the room she shared with Laura to presumably go back to sleep.

After she left discussion started up again, all talking about what they'd witnessed in the drawing room.

"Oh the poor dear," Mrs. Weasley fretted, "I should never have let her deal with that horrid desk."

"Now, now Molly dear it'll be all right," Mr. Weasley tried to reassure his wife.

"Oh but Arthur that boggart, it was so horrible," she shuddered while her husband held her.

"Her mother almost made Mrs. Black seem nice," muttered one of the twins.

"Yeah that was bloody terrifying, but what was all that about stones not being able to love flesh she was going on about?" Ron's question seemed to jolt something in Hermione's brain because she sat upright all of a sudden, face displaying one of those looks she only got when she was thinking; she started muttering loudly to herself.

"Oh, _oh_, so that's why Laura showed up in her boggart and why..." she trailed off mumbling incoherently.

"What are you going on about Hermione?"

"Nothing," she shook her head, "it's not something I should talk about without talking to them first, it's their private business."

With that she stood, rushing off after quickly thanking Mrs. Weasley for the meal.

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An: I know that Carmilla isn't biologically related to her 'mother' but since we don't see her I've made her resemble an older Carmilla as if they were biologically related. Also as you've probably noted the boggart in this fic was substantively more powerful than ordinary as explained earlier.


	4. Chapter 4 - Talks

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Hermione found Laura reading in the small Black family library. Out of the two she seemed the most approachable. Now that she'd found her though she found herself unsure if she should bring up what was on her mind.

She had so many questions and Laura had always come across as kind and understanding but this was the woman's personal life.

Nervously she hesitated at the doorway trying to make up her mind on how to approach her.

Laura momentarily looking up from her place sitting on the comfortable armchair she was reading in spotted her standing in the doorway.

Blinking at her a look of mild concern made its way across her face at the unsure way the girl was holding herself, "sorry Hermione I didn't see you there, was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, yes... um, I, er that is," taking a deep breath she squared her shoulder "could I talk to you about something?"

Laura's previous look of mild concern changed to one of confusion but she set aside her book and motioned Hermione over to sit in the chair across from her.

"Sure what did you want to talk about," she stifled a yawn before adding on, "sorry I haven't been up long Carmilla's beginning to rub off on me."

"Oh, I was wondering where you I guess that explains it." Everyone in the house had been there.

The news seemed to come as a surprise to her, "Wow Carmilla was actually up during the morning that doesn't happen often." "Of course," she mumbled afterwards, "she went back to sleep right after." She shook her head fondly.

"So what got her up? Usually I have to drag her out of bed."

Hermione hesitated before regaling Laura with everything that had happened with the boggart earlier in the day. Laura might be able to sate some of her curiosity and she still hadn't worked up the courage to bring up her relationship with carmilla.

"Most of us were a little shaken up and I know the others are curious but she disappeared straight after. Even if she was still awake most of them are too polite to bring it up with her or else afraid she'll hex their toes off if they ask."

"But not you?" Laura arched and eyebrow but she didn't seem offended just genuinely curious.

Hermione blushed, "well that wasn't what I was going to ask you about but yes."

Laura let out a breath her lips forming a wry smile, "If you're anything like I was at your age I'm sure your curious about Carmilla's boggart."

"Let's just say Carmilla's mother was never a nice person by any stretch of the imagination."

"I'm a bit surprised at the coffin though, I wouldn't have thought I'd be the one she'd feared caged, though I suppose seeing yourself might lessen the effect somewhat."

She hummed to herself contemplatively before turning her attention back to Hermione.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Hermione hesitated before the words came spilling out of her mouth, "please don't think this is rude but I was wondering about you and Carmilla."

"What about us?" Laura asked quizzically.

"Well, um that is, when we were having lunch Ron asked what all the stuff Carmilla's mother said and I thought about how close the two of you are and..." She trailed off face glowing red.

"Oh, this is so embarrassing and it's not really any of my business, but are you, er that is, are you- ?"

"-together?" Laura finished for her seeming amused at her embarrassment.

"There's no need to be so embarrassed Hermione it's natural to be curious, but yes, we've been together for quite a few years."

"We hardly make a secret of it and the whole order knows I'm surprised no one told you."

The conversation descended into silence after that.

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Later that night Lupin visited for dinner. Carmilla and Laura had disappeared earlier in the evening to do something and weren't expected to be back until late that night.

The topic of Carmilla's boggart was inevitably resumed and Remus who hadn't been there had been quickly caught up to speed.

Remembering their ex Defence professor's lessons on the creatures they managed to drag him into joining the rampant speculation about what had occurred as dinner was prepared.

His voice was quite and thoughtful as he spoke.

"Like crows you say?"

"Yes, screaming and clawing in this great shadowy mass," Apart from whatever secrets Carmilla hid Harry had been particularly interested in finding out more about the spell she had used. Whatever it had been it had been powerful and seemed to be effective against abnormally magically powerful creatures that would normally be resistant to most magic.

Sadly it seemed like the werewolf was just as in the dark about it as they were."Interesting, but as to what she did I have no idea."

"I wouldn't try replicating it without her either," he shot them a look, 'I know that you like to be curious about these kinds of things but I want you to promise me you won't try anything."

Seeing their mulish expressions his features softened before he let out weary sigh.

"Most dark arts and creatures aren't inherently evil but that won't stop a spell from turning on its caster without the knowledge and skill to control it."

"I'm sure you all remember what happened to Ron with that slug eating curse you told me about."

Ron looked a bit queasy at the mention of that no doubt rather traumatic event, but they could see what Lupin was getting at even if they didn't like it.

With a wan smile he hammered the final nail in the coffin, "I wouldn't be surprised if whatever she did was beyond your abilities to cast in any case."

Seeing Harry opening his mouth the argue, he lifted and hand to interrupt him before ploughing through any argument he might have been about to make.

"I know your powerful Harry, learning to cast a Patronus as a third year is astounding, still."

"I'm not discrediting you, but I'm not sure any of us here could manage the feets she's capable of, she could give Dumbledore a run for his money if she was in the mood."

They all shared surprised looks, that was news to them. There'd be indications that she was magically skilled and powerful, the silencing of Mrs. Black for one, but being able to challenge Dumbledore was on a whole different level.

"How do you know ?" Hermione asked eyes wide.

"Apart from the fact he told me? My wolf can feel it whenever she's nearby, it knows when it's in the presence of something more powerful than it."

One of the twins let out a low whistle, "blimey."

He chuckled wryly at their shocked faces.

"Yes she's a rather amazing individual, now back to that boggart, it isn't often I get to hear about one that's been tampered with to such an extent."

"Judging from the intensity of the aura that it exuded and the complexity of the fear that it showed the boggart must have been considerably more powerful than anything that could occur naturally."

"Still I would imagine whatever that light was even an unnaturally powerful boggart would pale in comparison to the real thing."  
He seemed disturbed by the notion and at their questioning looks he elaborated.

"A boggart no matter how powerful will always be an imitation, for example, Harry I'm sure you noticed this but when your boggart takes on the shape of dementor it feels somewhat like a real one but it can't quite properly generate the aura of despair."

"I always wondered about that, what about the rest of the boggart though? Laura and Carmilla's mother."

"I don't know anything about her mother and it would be polite not to pry," he shot them a stern look, "as for Laura's presence well I would have thought the answer would be obvious."

Except for Hermione everyone not in the order seemed baffled, something which seemed to genuinely surprise Lupin who looked like he thought they were all being a bit dense as he excused himself to go fetch Mr. Weasley and Tonks for Mrs. Weasley.

At Harry's questioning look Sirius - who had been listening in while he helped the Weasley matron cook, waggled his eyebrows at them a lecherous grin on his face.

Confused Harry turned to look at Hermione who seemed to be the only one who understood, "I don't get it, what's he mean obvious."

Blushing furiously she let out a squeak face bright red.

"Oh, Harry, what he was saying is, well..."

"-We're together."

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An: Oh Hermione, still young and pure. She's easily embarrassed about talking about certain topics.


	5. Chapter 5 - Amorous Lovers

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Carmilla stood in the doorway to the kitchen a lazy smirk on her face.

"Geez leave to get a bite to drink and you're all talking about my love life."

She didn't seem offended to find them talking about her as one would expect, rather she seemed amused and they were all too busy staring at her with wide eyes and startled expressions to notice her odd word choice.

Carmilla had this way about her, this confidence, like nothing could faze her.

The only time anyone had seen her lose that composer, really lose it; more than the exasperated sighs or the eye rolls and insults, was when she had faced that boggart, and that had brought forth a cold tight anger more than anything.

Now though she wore the same kind of look cats made when they'd found something new to play with.

Her eyes pinned them to their seats sweating and her amusement only seemed to increase.

Hermione buried her face in her hands blushing furiously as Carmilla watched on with a small smirk.

Rolling her eyes she seemed to take pity on them. She pushed off from the open door frame she'd been leaning against and walked over to join Mrs. Weasley in helping to set out the food.

Harry turned what he'd just learned about Carmilla and Laura's relationship over in his head.

The revelation left him feeling rather flustered.

Smiling wanly Remus set a flagon of Butterbeer on the table before taking a seat. "I suppose you're rather shocked but I thought you knew, Carmilla can be rather... amorous."

"He means he walked in on us," Carmilla rolled her eyes as she carried a heavy looking dish like it weighed about as much as a feather.

At her words his cheeks went pink and he looked rather uncomfortable.

Ron was looking very red, and Hermione still had her face buried in her hands. Ginny meanwhile was looking contemplative and Harry himself didn't know how he felt about the whole thing. Surely love was love right? It might be deemed as wrong but it wasn't like it hurt anyone.

It occurred to him that it was the sort of thing aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon would deem to be 'freakish' or 'unnatural'.

But then he'd been once called that too.

And he knew what it was like to be treated as something different to be started at or reviled for something out of his control, Parseltongue had taught him that. Contrary to Dumbledore's original suspicions it was simply how he had been born. It was a part of him; Sirius had confirmed that from what he remembered of Harry's diaper days of babbling and hissing unintelligible baby talk.

Was it not much like Carmilla and Laura, just something apart of them that was different?

He'd never really given much thought to it, never had a reason to, but he found that it didn't really bother him, and why should it?

He decided to simply just be happy for them.

While he was thinking deep thoughts the twins seemed to take it all in their stride.  
Fred and George looked at each other for a split second before blurting out in sync, "That's hot."

"Boys!" Mrs. Weasley looked scandalized at their words

A rather flustered Harry turned to his godfather, here he'd been trying to think deep thoughts about it all and now his hormonal teenage mind was going into overdrive thanks to the twin's comments.

"Is that what you meant by her already being taken Sirius?" Harry remembered him mentioning it during the dinner of his arrival.

"Yep," Sirius popped the p, a wide grin upon his face.

"Where's Laura dear?" A flustered Mrs. Weasley asked Carmilla obviously trying to change to the subject.

"She's feeling a bit anaemic so she's resting; I'll take her something to eat later."

"Oh the poor girl, she's lucky to have you though you're so sweet to her."

"Yes well," Carmilla coughed looking embarrassed by the comment.

Eager to get off the subject of her she turned to Lupin. "So Remus how goes things."

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September first found them all rushing about at the last minute searching all over the house for misplaced belonging. There was a lot of commotion in the house and the usual start of year rush to get ready and packed even managed to rouse Carmilla who usually slept like the dead.

From what Harry gathered Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall. The resulting commotion had woken her and she had not been happy.

Moody had been able to reattach their buttocks eventually but a good ten minutes was spent chasing them around the house before they'd finally managing to catch them.

Carmilla and Laura ended up accompanying them at Laura's insistence now that they were already awake. Carmilla might have given in but she continued to shoot dark looks at Fred and George who twitched whenever she made a sudden move.

There was something to say about having your buttocks cursed off by and angry witch and the others gave her a healthy berth.

It took them twenty minutes to reach King's Cross by foot and nothing more eventful happened during that time than Sirius scaring a couple of cats for Harry's entertainment. He'd stopped very quickly after the looks Carmilla shot him.

Once inside the station they lingered casually beside the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through onto platform nine and three quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

Sirius got several looks but most of the older students seemed to think Harry's 'pet' was "cool." Sirius had lapped up all the attention and one little girl had even wondered over to play with the "doggy".

The twenty minutes it had taken them to get to King's Cross did little to improve on Carmilla's less than happy mood.

Her glare had sent Lucius Malfoy cowering when he'd made as if to approach no doubt to impart some snide remark or other.

Thankfully Laura managed to keep things from boiling over and she waved them off with the rest.

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An:

Yes Harry was born a Parseltongue, no weird soul magic voodoo involved.

I'm leaving the time setting somewhat ambiguous for this story, Carmilla canonically is set presumably now, while Harry Potter is set predominately in the 90's.

But while I was thinking about it I did some research into when exactly the laws that made being gay illegal were repealed.

It's only very recently that homosexuality in either male or females has become legal, let alone seen as somewhat acceptable.

In both America and Britain sodomy laws made homosexual acts illegal and indeed even outside of the realm of law homosexuals were often vilified and discriminated against heavily. These laws were mostly aimed at male homosexuals but many also applied to female couples.

It was rather shocking to read about just how recent some of these laws were repealed. I don't know about the wizarding world but during the time the Harry Potter books are set some of them would still have been in existence and England's would have been only just recently struck from the list of punishable offences.


	6. Chapter 6 - Return to Hogwarts

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When they arrived at Hogwarts Harry was met by the sight of the now not so horseless horseless carriages.

Thankfully he'd been saved from having a panic attack by a spacey blond girl a year under him who he'd met on the train.

Luna was... odd. But she was nice and rather pretty in her own unusual way.

He wasn't particularly superstitious but she seemed almost fae with her light colouring and waist-length, ethereal pale gold hair and faint eyebrows.

Her large grey eyes always seemed to be starring out into space as if gazing at things other people couldn't see, dreamily distracted.

Eccentric didn't cover the half of it but he found himself liking her.

The strange skeletal horses turned out to be thestrals, creatures that could only be seen by someone who had seen death.

Looking at them he couldn't help but wonder what else normal people might not be able to see, suddenly Luna's creatures didn't sound nearly so outlandish.

Though he still didn't think Fudge baked goblins in pies... though Sirius had been singing those Stubby Boardman song's an awful lot...

No he refused to think about Sirius leading a secret double life as the lead Singer of a popular band.

Why was everyone looking at him strangely!

Oh right they were supposed to be getting out of the carriage not just sitting there while everyone else shifted uncomfortably waiting for him.

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To their undying horror Defence was being taught by the Ministry Toad from Harry's hearing. She turned out to be an even worse teacher than Lockhart and that was saying something. Most of the school bar a few had united in hating her in an unprecedented show of inter-house unity. The teachers seemed to hate her just as much as the students and she had taken to auditing their classes.

Hagrid still hadn't returned from his mission for the Order which only compounded onto Harry's misery.

He'd quickly learnt to keep his mouth shut around Umbridge lest he be given another half dozen detentions where he would be forced to cut his hand up with her quills.

He wished Carmilla was there to put Umbridge in her place, she'd no doubt have some very nasty curses she'd have used on the toad by now. Carmilla wasn't known for tolerating things that annoyed her and just about everything about Umbridge would have pissed her off, it did everyone else.

But as it turned out Harry's wish ended up coming true.

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Stuck at Hogwarts they only got the occasional bit's news about the Order, smuggled in via the two-way mirror Sirius had given Harry before they left Grimmauld Place.

It was nearing the Christmas holidays and Professor McGonagall had been called away at breakfast. to tend to the rather spectacular mess that had resulted from what according to the Hogwarts rumour mill had been a rather wild seventh year party. The wild exploits of the party goers had allegedly involved several chickens, firewhiskey, a cat and a reindeer smuggled in from Siberia. There were also rumours of an orgy and several veela thought such claims where unsubstantiated much to every male's disappointment.

Needless to say by the time their fifth year Transfiguration class rolled around she was still bogged down in several feet of feathers mixed with a liberal mixture of spilt alcohol and various potions and bodily fluids.

They entered the Transfiguration classroom to find no one there but an absolutely massive black panther sitting there with a smaller normal sized house cat sitting on top of its head.

Remembering their first Transfiguration lesson when professor McGonagall had sat there as a cat they all hurried to their seats as the giant cat pinned them with a stare that had them sweating nervously.

With a huff the massive black cat stood as its smaller companion leapt from its head to settle on the desk next to it.

Their suspicions were confirmed when the great cat shifted into the form a woman.

Carmilla stood with a bored expression on her face and let out a great cat like yawn that flashed... were those, fangs?

Her sudden appearance startled some of the jumpier members of the class who'd had been rather intimidated by the giant black cat she had transformed from.

Waving her hand lazily at them she introduced herself after telling them that she'd be covering for McGonagall for the day as a favour seeing as she was still trying to untransfigure some of the poor sods who'd thought drunkenly transfiguring themselves into animals was a good idea.

She was just as they remembered her and her lackadaisical attitude to teaching and life in general was an enjoyable contrast to their usual teacher's strict way of doing things.

From what Sirius had told them Carmilla and Laura had left Grimmauld Place after September rarely returning to check in and for occasional meetings. No one was quite sure what they were up to but since neither of them was from Britain and Carmilla was apparently 'old friends' with Dumbledore no one questioned it too closely. There was also the fact that Carmilla was likely to curse anyone who stuck their nose in where it wasn't wanted and most people enjoyed keeping their buttocks intact and firmly attached.

Harry had wondered how she could be 'old friends' with Dumbledore but Sirius had clammed up when he'd brought the subject up. He'd rather delicately skirted the topic by telling him to ask the old man himself.

The lesson was rather laidback but it was extremely interesting as professor Hollstein; as they were to call her for the day, taught them about the advanced subject of Human Transfiguration they would be touching on this year before really getting into to it during their final years if they continued with the subject.

A lot of the lesson was spent learning about the Animagus transformation in particular; something that the class found very interesting. Carmilla or professor Hollstein as they had to call her confounded all traditional notions on Animagi by turning into a bat, a wolf, and then a crow before once more taking the shape of the giant black cat.

Swishing her tail her form blurred and she was once more human.

Ignoring their stunned faces she dismissed them with a lazy smirk as the class ended.

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An: Luna Harry probably has to be my favourite pairing for HP. Laura's form is a house cat.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Worsening Situation

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The D.A. was one of the few things keeping him going.

He'd been banned from playing Quidditch and Umbridge was making a mockery of his favourite subject while she slowly tainted everything that Harry had ever loved or enjoyed about Hogwarts.

Her educational decrees were multiplying by the day and it was getting increasingly difficult to subvert her in even the littlest of ways.

The D.A. offered a reprieve from her tyranny but it was only a temporary measure.

Still, Harry and the D.A. were resisting her under her very nose, doing the very thing that she and the Ministry most feared, and whenever he was supposed to be reading Wilbert Slinkhard's book during her lessons he dwelled instead on satisfying memories of their most recent meetings.

He was finding it almost impossible to fix a regular night of the week for D.A. meetings, as they had to accommodate three separate Quidditch teams' practices, which were often rearranged depending on the weather conditions; but Harry was not sorry about this, he had a feeling that it was probably better to keep the timing of their meetings unpredictable. If anyone was watching them, it would be hard to make out a pattern.

Hermione's trick with the charmed coins had been a lifesaver. She had given each of the members one of the fake Galleon so Harry thankfully no longer had to contend with people coming to ask him about the next meeting at breakfast in the Great Hall where anyone could see them or overhear what they were saying.

All in all life seemed like it was going as well as it could be with a Ministry inquisitor in residence trying her utmost to make their lives miserable.

The wild party McGonagall had been dragged away to clean up had only added to Umbridge's ire and she had been cracking down as hard as she had ever been on what she termed as 'elicit gatherings'.

Rumour had it she'd gotten stuck in some potion residue that had acted like super glue when coming into contact with her, cementing her in place until the other teachers managed to get her out from where she was mired amidst several feet of bleating goats and chicken's feathers.

She'd been particularly vicious since then when it came to stamping out non approved gatherings. Thankfully she as of yet hadn't been able to interfere within the house common rooms when it came to celebrations. Not that there was much to celebrate under her reign of terror.

So while things for Harry might be the best he could hope for things were by no means enjoyable. All in all it life at Hogwarts was rather miserable.

Worse still the Voldermort situation was looking bleak. The Daily Prophet had recently announced a mass break out from Azkaban and Sirius news from the order hadn't been heartening. They were doing what they could but with Voldermort operating in such secrecy combating him was increasingly difficult.

Carmilla and Laura had disappeared off the face of the earth and were presumably doing something of their own somewhere in Austria. No one knew what they were doing but they'd promised to raise awareness on the continent where they could.

Voldemort had never been as wide spread as Grindelwald's legendary campaign and while he was feared in Britain he'd never had the power to spread his influence beyond its borders. The other countries would monitor the situation but they were unlikely to intervene except to prevent it from spilling over the borders.

Since her appearance to teach their transfiguration lesson for McGonagall while she was otherwise occupied with transfigured party revellers, she'd been the talk of the castle.

Hogwart's rumour mill was legendary and in the absence of most other relaxation activities owing to the toad's tyranny, castle rumour mongering had only increased in productivity.

Her impossible Animagus trick had had Hermione and most of the Ravenclaws in a frenzy ever since she's done the supposedly impossible.

They'd been researching it almost obsessively in their spare time but they'd yet to have been able to ask McGonagall about it. She was looking rather frazzled these days and was increasingly busy preparing for the coming O.W.L.'s as well as trying to help Dumbledore to contain the damage Umbridge was doing while continuing to subtly undermine her.

So far they hadn't been able to find any plausible theories on how she'd done it or what exactly it was she had done. It might have even been something completely separate from the Animagus transformation for all they knew.

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Harry was dreaming. He was a snake, long serpentine body moving across a stone floor. At first glance, the corridor was empty . . . but no . . . a man was sitting on the floor ahead, his chin drooping onto his chest, his outline gleaming in the dark. . . .

Harry put out his tongue. . . He tasted the man's scent on the air. . . He was alive but drowsing . . . sitting in front of a door at the end of the corridor . . .

The man was stirring . . . a silvery cloak fell from his legs as he jumped to his feet.

He reared high from the floor and struck once, twice, three times, plunging his fangs deeply into the man's flesh, feeling his ribs splinter beneath his jaws, feeling the warm gush of blood.

The man was yelling in pain . . . then he fell silent. . . He slumped backward against the wall. . . . Blood was splattering onto the floor. . . .

His forehead hurt terribly. . . . It was aching fit to burst. . . .

"Harry! HARRY!"

He opened his eyes.

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The flesh-colored strings wriggled like long skinny worms, then snaked under the door. For a few seconds Harry could hear nothing, then he heard Tonks whispering as clearly as though she were standing right beside him.

". . . they searched the whole area but they couldn't find the snake anywhere, it just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur. . . But You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"

"I reckon he sent it as a lookout," growled Moody, " 'cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had much more time to look around."

"So Potter says he saw it all happen?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded rather uneasy. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this. . . ."

"Yeah, well," said Moody, "there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."

"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning," whispered Mrs. Weasley.

" 'Course he's worried," growled Moody. "The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. . . . Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him." "Maybe we ought to get Hollstein to have a look at him—"

Harry pulled the Extendable Ear out of his own, his heart hammering very fast and heat rushing up his face.

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	8. Chapter 8 - Lock the Monster Away

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He felt dirty, contaminated, as though he were carrying some deadly germ, unworthy to sit on the underground train back from the hospital with innocent, clean people whose minds and bodies were free of the taint of Voldemort.

Was he the weapon Voldermort sort, a ticking time bomb amongst their midst waiting to go off?

"Are you all right, Harry, dear?" whispered Mrs. Weasley, leaning across Ginny to speak to him as the train rattled along through its dark tunnel. "You don't look very well. Are you feeling sick?"

They were all watching him. He shook his head violently and stared up at an advertisement for home insurance.

"Harry, dear, are you sure you're all right?" said Mrs. Weasley in a worried voice, as they walked around the unkempt patch of grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place. "You look ever so pale. . . . Are you sure you slept this morning? You go upstairs to bed right now, and you can have a couple of hours' sleep before dinner, all right?"

He nodded; here was a ready-made excuse not to talk to any of the others, which was precisely what he wanted, so when she opened the front door he proceeded straight past the troll's leg umbrella stand and up the stairs and hurried into his and Ron's bedroom.

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He spent the better part of the day boarded up in Buckbeak's room while everybody else spent the following morning putting up Christmas decorations.

Harry could not remember Sirius ever being in such a good mood; he was actually singing carols, apparently delighted that he was to have company over Christmas.

Harry could hear his voice echoing up through the floor in the cold and empty drawing room where he was sitting alone, watching the sky outside the windows growing whiter, threatening snow, all the time feeling a savage pleasure that he was giving the others the opportunity to keep talking about him, as they were bound to be doing.

When he heard Mrs. Weasley calling his name softly up the stairs around lunchtime he retreated farther upstairs and ignored her.

It was around six o'clock in the evening that the doorbell rang and Mrs. Black started screaming again. Assuming that Mundungus or some other Order member had come to call, Harry merely settled himself more comfortably against the wall of Buckbeak the hippogriff's room where he was hiding, trying to ignore how hungry he felt as he fed Buckbeak dead rats.

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Eventually Hermione managed to coax him out of his hiding place.

"Now come on Laura and Carmilla have come back and Dumbledore's here to see you."

"They were supposed to be in Norway for another week but I think he brought them back so Carmilla could take a look at you."

He allowed her to pull him along as his mind worked furiously remembering Moody's words.

Dumbledore was waiting for them in the kitchen. With him Carmilla and Laura sat being fused over by Mrs. Weasley while the others pestered them about their trip.

Tugging him by the hand Hermione pulled them over to the aged wizard.

Waving off questions about an encounter with a Hag, Carmilla joined them leaving Laura to fend off the questions and the Weasley matron's fussing on her own.

Settling down his tea Dumbledore began. "Ah, Harry I see that you and Miss Granger have joined us." "In the wake of your vision it seems prudent for my old friend to take a look at you."

He paused before glancing at Carmilla who gave an almost imperceptible nod before carrying on.

"If my suspicions are correct it would be best that we take care of this now rather than later."

"I think though that this might be something better talked of in private, come I've secured the Library for us while we talk."

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The Black family library was true to his word empty when they arrived.

Some of the books were quite dark in nature but thankfully none had been cursed and the room was comfortable enough Harry supposed.

"What, exactly are you going to do?" He asked somewhat nervous at the prospect of Carmilla, 'taking a look at him'.

Her eyes gleamed wickedly as she gave a smile that made him squirm uncomfortable, "oh, nothing much."

Her examination was odd and Harry was reminded rather forcibly of Ollivander's examination of him when he'd first gone to get his wand.

After giving the rest of his body a quick one over she examined his scar in detail drawing uncomfortably close as she inhaled deeply before recoiling.

Nodding at Dumbledore she turned back to her examination. "You were right; his magic's scent's all over him but it's coming from the scar"

Drawing closer again she stared into his eyes, "this is going to prickle."

That was all the warning he got before he felt an odd sensation like a memory he was trying to remember but was just out of reach.

Tearing her eyes from his she turned back to his scar hissing under her breath and Harry felt the prickling sensation at the corner of his mind become painful. It stopped as quickly as it started and Carmilla took a step back from him before turning back to Dumbledore.

"I might be able to contain it for now, but you'll have to give me more time to deal with it properly."

At her words Dumbledore gave a weary sigh before massaging his temples, "that would be for the best I think."

Seeing Harry's confused expression he spoke.

"I think Harry, that's it's time I explain."

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An: Horcruxes will be coming into play much earlier, as in right now.


	9. Chapter 9 - Horcruxes

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Harry sat numbly taking in what Dumbledore had just told him.

When Voldermort's spell had rebounded a part of his soul had blasted off from the rest and now resided within him. He felt sick, for a moment he thought he might through up.

Swallowing down bile he listened as Dumbledore and Carmilla talked.

"My mother once used something similar but horcruxes aren't exactly something I'm used to dealing with."

And there was that word, Horcruxes. He shivered silently, Voldermort had rent his soul apart and stuffed his soul inside, and not once or twice, no that wouldn't be good enough for the greatest Dark Lord since Grindelwald. No he'd rent his soul seven times if what Dumbledore suspected was correct.

Seven times, seven murders steeped in the blackest of arts, seven shards of his soul stored in seven objects. The diary that had possessed Ginny Weasley had been one. He'd been shocked when Dumbledore had told him.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been, it'd been clear from his experiences with pensieve that that Tom Riddle had been no mere memory. After all memories did not do that.

The horcrux might have been destroyed but Dumbledore had had his suspicions, and now it seemed he had his proof.

Carmilla had been told the story of Kreacher's former master after finding the cursed locket that had once belonged to Slytherin.

She'd examined it and had taken her discovery to her friend before she'd destroyed it.

So now five of Lord Voldermort's horcruxes remained of which he Harry was one.

And now they were discussing how to deal with it.

The sick feeling was back.

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Finishing their conversation they returned their attention back to him.

Dumbledore's expression was kind as he explained the course of action they'd agreed upon. "Carmilla has offered to for lack of better words, place a temporary seal to block Voldermort's influence." "It should stop the visions you've been receiving, I would also like you to take occlumency lessons once you return." "He may be sending you them to you, intending to lead you into a trap or else otherwise influence you in some way."

"Harry I want you to promise me you will not act on any vision you might have without first contacting myself or another member of the order."

"You must promise me Harry."

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The seal was in the form of a peculiar circular construct comprised of runic arrays and strange symbols in foreign languages surrounding her outstretched hand. It wasn't physically present in any tangible way but Harry could feel it taking a hold as soon as Carmilla summoned it in the air in front of her as if it were ink characters peeled from the pages of some ancient book.

Though small he could almost taste the incredible power and intent imbued within the rotating characters as they orbited each other, dancing around Carmilla's splayed fingers. It had one purpose, to seal something away that nothing might ever escape or slip through.

Unbidden his mind flashed to memories ethereal patronuses and screaming black crows. This was powerful magic.

Gently Carmilla brought her hand to his brow. "Brace yourself."

Sucking in a deep breath he grit his teeth and focused on keeping himself from shaking as he was overtaken by a sudden wave of vertigo and his eyes began to roll back in his head.

As the first of the strange characters touched his scar he almost fell to floor no longer able to tell which was up or down and his head was filled with a trickling cold feeling as if suddenly icy water was circulating his brain instead of what should normally be there.

It worked slowly as the spell took hold reaching with grasping hands and _binding_.

Finally at last the effects began to cease and he gave several deep shuddering breaths. It was only Carmilla's steadying hand that stopped him from falling to the floor as his sense of balance began to return.

"There it'll block it out until I can come up with something more permanent."

She waited a minute to make sure he'd recovered enough to stand without keeling over before she turned him over to Dumbledore with an order to, "keep him from falling over until he's recovered enough to walk by himself without bumping into everything he see's."

With those kind words she left to in her words; grab some food before it was all gone, make passionate love to her girlfriend and then sleep like the dead.

His face had gone rather red at the last two. Dumbledore seemed used to her antics and looked amused at her words more than anything.

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An: I hope people noticed the 'sleep like the dead' line, I like dropping in little things like that, I think it's something Carmilla might do.


	10. Chapter 10 - Christmas

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Sirius seemed determined that everyone should enjoy themselves as much as possible and he worked tirelessly in the run-up to Christmas Day, cleaning and decorating with their help, so that by the time they all went to bed on Christmas Eve the house was barely recognizable.

The tarnished chandeliers were no longer hung with cobwebs but with garlands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in heaps over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree, obtained by Mundungus; perfectly legal he'd assured them, decorated with live fairies blocked Sirius's family tree from view; and even the stuffed elf heads on the hall wall wore Father Christmas hats and beards.

Carmilla didn't seem too enthusiastic about the holiday but she indulged Laura who seemed to adore it, though funnily enough they both seemed to have a strange aversion to gingerbread. Something about a past run in with a krampus.

She could often be found helping Sirius string up garlands of festive decorations while Carmilla lurked moodily in the background mumbling about how 'a holiday where you couldn't kill people was stupid' and how 'hopefully this year there wouldn't be an angry mob'.

Laura returned her quips with comments about 'inappropriate Mayor biting' and 'murdering people as Christmas gifts'.

None of them could make heads or tails of most of their quips except for some of the older Order members who looked like they had some vague inkling and Hermione who had that thoughtful look on her face whenever they listened to the two banter back and forth.

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Present opening was something of an event that year, with all of the presents for them all gathered together and piled around Mundungus's 'perfectly legal Christmas tree'.

They all gathered sitting around it to open them and Laura had even managed to drag Carmilla out of bed early for it.

Hermione had predictably given them all homework planners while the adults received slightly better gifts in the form of some very nice quills.

Ron rolled his eyes before moving onto Harry's gift, a Broom Compass.

Thankfully the others where better at giving gifts and less prone to nagging though Hagrid's was in the shape of a furry brown wallet that had fangs, which were presumably supposed to be an antitheft device, but unfortunately prevented Harry putting any money in without getting his fingers ripped off.

Sirius and Lupin had given Harry a set of excellent books entitled Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts, which was going to be highly useful in his plans for the D.A.

Tonks's present was a small, working model of a Firebolt, which Harry watched fly around the room, wishing he still had his full-size version; Ron had given him an enormous box of Every-Flavor Beans; Mr. And Mrs. Weasley the usual hand-knitted jumper and some mince pies.

Dobby, bizarrely enough had given him a truly dreadful painting that Harry suspected had been done by the elf himself.

Harry liked to think he was a marginally better gift giver than the elf.

Hermione had been rather easy to shop for and her 'New Theory of Numerology' book was well received.

Laura and Carmilla's gifts were rather intriguing.

Both were rather good gift givers but they couldn't quite understand the reasoning behind why Tonks have given them a veritable mountain of blood pops.

In return she'd gotten a bat choker and some shirts with what looked like bands on them.

Tonks and Carmilla, Harry noted had similar tastes in clothes though Carmilla's had less of an obvious punk take to it.

Hermione got that thoughtful look again as she watched Carmilla happily stick one of the blood flavoured lollipops into her mouth while Ron looked vaguely ill at the sight.

Hermione predictably got another book, though it was something rarer than the one he'd given her.

It was a lesser copy of a book detailing a variety of mystical weapons; most of which were ridiculously finicky or impractical, such as the 'Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch' which was only useable against hordes of 'monstrous' rabbits.

Carmilla actually owned the original that dated back several centuries, though she stated it wasn't much more useful most of the time than the copy she'd give Hermione.

Harry's own gift to the pair had been to give them each shrinkable sleeping bags which was enchanted to hover off the ground to keep clear of snakes and spider since they seemed to be travelling allot lately while Ron had given candy and the twins had tried to sneak her some extendable ears and other various products as a peace offering.

She'd smiled wickedly while caressing her wand in way sinisterly reminiscent of Voldermort while they prostrated themselves at her feet and begged her to spare the buttocks. Since their return she'd taken to terrorizing them with subtle threats about repeating her spell if they displeased her.

Eventually she declared herself pleased with their tribute and bade them rise before opening the rest of her presents.

She seemed pleased with Mrs. Weasley's jumper, though she tried to hide it. Laura was more open with her enthusiasm, happily accepting her own jumper from the Weasley matriarch.

The rest of their gifts, like Hermione's book and Tonks's shirt and choker were chosen for their recipients rather well.

Among them was a fully illustrated copy of the Kama Sutra that was enchanted to have moving images for Sirius; much to his giddy pleasure and Mrs. Weasley's disapproving glower.

Harry himself received a 'genuine' vampire slaying kit which contained a large fully collapsible crucifix and a rather shiny silver stake from Carmilla who laughed throatily while Laura looked at her reproachfully.

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An: The gingerbread aversion stems from the traumatic events of the Christmas special episode. I referenced it quite a bit.


	11. Chapter 11 - Vampire

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As the date of their departure back to Hogwarts drew nearer Laura and Carmilla made preparations to leave Britain again, though this time it was to be more in the way of a visit to Carmilla's birth place rather than travelling all over Europe.

They were to depart the day after they were to return to Hogwarts and Harry for the first time in his life, he was not looking forward to returning to the castle.

Going back to school would mean placing himself once again under the tyranny of Dolores Umbridge, who had no doubt managed to force through another dozen decrees in their absence.

Then there was no Quidditch to look forward to now that he had been banned and there was every likelihood that their burden of homework would increase as the exams drew even nearer; in fact, if it had not been for the D.A., Harry felt he might have gone to Sirius and begged him to let him leave Hogwarts and remain in Grimmauld Place.

To his surprise Dumbledore stopped by briefly again on the very last day of the holidays to tell him that he would be teaching Harry occlumency and giving him private lessons which would serve to reinforce his seal and help him defend his mind in the event it broke. He'd been horrified to learn that Snape had briefly been considered to be his teacher before Dumbledore had thought better of it.

Finally at last the Day arrived when they were to return to Hogwarts. After a hurried breakfast they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning. The Knight Bus was just a uncomfortable as Harry remembered it and the journey back to Hogsmeade was an unpleasant one.

Stumbling out of the bus they begun to struggle up the slippery drive toward the castle dragging their trunks with them.

The next day Snape was as unpleasant as ever and Harry found himself day dreaming about foreign lands and wondering what Dumbledore's lessons would be like.

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The news of the outbreak from Azkaban spread like wildfire.

While the blame was being pinned solely on Sirius there was a definite undercurrent of unease among the general population.

Harry's following interview with Rita Skeeter was equally uproarious.

Umbridge incensed, banned all copies with the result that by the end of the day no one in Hogwarts had not read it. The general reaction was mixed but people seemed more open to the reality of Voldermort's return.

During the following weeks Carmilla's seal was increasingly flaring uncomfortably as it blocked Voldermort's unconscious attempts at influence and Harry knew that it had prevented more than one dream. It couldn't completely prevent him from feeling whenever Voldermort felt a particularly fierce emotion but it was always faint.

For the most though it was doing it's job and his Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore were progressing enough to offer some small protection in the event it failed.

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When the topic of professor Hollstein – a symbolic mix of Carmilla and Laura's last names now evident to Harry who still felt rather slow about the whole thing, eventually surfaced in Transfiguration a rather disgruntled professor McGonagall was met with a barrage of questions about the mysterious interim professor who had so confounded the traditional rules of Transfiguration.

With a tired put upon expression she gathered her thoughts choosing her words carefully before speaking.

For Harry it was to be a startling revelation.

"I am sure you are all curious to know how it was professor Hollstein was able to achieve the ability to take the shape of more than a singular exclusive animal, contrary to the limitations of the traditional Animagus transformation."

"I'm afraid for any other it would be an impossibility."

"Suffice it to say she is possessed of a condition of singular rarity which allows her considerable lenience when it comes to bending the rules of Transfiguration."

"For you see professor Hollstein is a Vampire, and the usual laws do not apply."

The proclamation was met by stunned silence which quickly turned to frantic whispering which McGonagall quelled with a look. Rubbing her eyes tiredly and looking a great deal older and more worn she continued on while Harry simply sat stunned.

"Vampires," she spoke at length, "do not play by the usual rules; the usual laws of Transfiguration do not apply to them."

"The knowledge and experience of several lifetimes coupled with the raw magical power and innate ability for the subject that all vampires' posses allows for what to anyone else would be impossibilities to become realities easily achieved."

"Vampires are masters of transfiguration and shape shifting, like an Animagus they can take the form of animals, they are however not limited to a singular form and they often go far beyond anything a human transfigurist is capable of."

"I think you have all heard, of their renowned ability to turn into swarms of bats at will."

"An Animagus transforms into a singular animal so it would not be impossible for a bat Animagus to take the form of a singular bat, however what a vampire does goes far beyond this, they split themselves across several different, distinct bodies."

"Of course like anyone else vampires are limited by practise and ability and many weaker ones struggle to touch upon the full spectrum of vampiric talents."

"Professor Hollstein as I'm sure you can guess is quite skilled."

"Now, bats may be the most iconic example of this extraordinary ability but they are just as capable of employing the forms of other animals such as crows."

"Truly prodigious individuals can even break themselves apart into non living gaseous forms while retaining sentience like mist and fog."

As McGonagall carried on her impromptu lecture Harry mulled over what he had just learned.

Carmilla, was a vampire.

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An: Professor Hollstein is the latest of Carmilla's extensive list of aliases, though it's more sentimental than most of them; being a symbolic mix of her and Laura's last names.


	12. Chapter 12 - Rumination

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"Oh honestly Harry of course she's a vampire," Hermione spoke exasperatedly, " the whole Order knows and it wasn't too hard to figure out with all those blood pops she was always sucking and the fact she likes to drop hints about it all the time."

Harry merely sat stunned; they were currently discussing the revelation of Carmilla's vampirism. "What the Oder knew, why didn't they tell us then?!"

Hermione sniffed imperiously, "I think they just forgot to ever mention it, it wasn't like anyone really made a secret of it, I can't believe it took me so long to notice."

"Blimey do you think that was what Lupin meant when he said she and Dumbledore were old friends?" Ron might not pay attention most of the time but he had his moments of brilliance.

"Of course, no wonder..." Hermione had a look of thoughtfulness on her face, no doubt she was already revaluating and re-examining everything about the foreign pair in a million different ways.

Harry found himself a bit unnerved by what they had just learned but it was tempered by the time he had spent in her company.

She didn't seem like a bad sort and Dumbledore trusted her – was old friends with even. Considering just how old Dumbledore was and Carmilla's immortality the meaning of 'old friends' took on a whole other meaning, just how long had they known each other?

Professor Lupin was a werewolf and Hagrid was half giant so he supposed befriending a vampire wasn't much of a stretch.

Besides she'd given him that 'genuine' vampire slaying kit as a joke so she couldn't be that bad.

Hell Sirius had raved about that book Laura and her had gotten him everytime he had gotten the chance, much to Mrs. Weasley's ire and Harry's eternal embarrassment.

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By the time carers advice consultations with their heads of house came around the seal Carmilla had placed to contain the fragment of Voldermort's soul within him had begun fluctuating wildly, cracks were starting to appear and while he had progressed at occlumency he was nowhere near the level of skill that would be required to block out Voldermort's influence, he knew something had to be done soon.

Dumbledore had been driven from the castle and the ministry was cracking down hard at Hogwarts.

Thankfully the D.A. had survived the attempted purge of its ranks by Umbridge when it was revealed they had been betrayed by one of their own.

They had barely managed to escape when a spell Laura had taught Hermione had alerted them when Marietta Edgecombe opened her traitorous mouth.

Hermione seemed to have taken a great deal of inspiration from Carmilla who she'd looked up to ever since meeting her.

Originally she had planned for much lighter security measures but at Sirius's advice on the matter and with Carmilla's influencing her and serving as inspiration she'd come up with some very complicated and thorough defences and precautionary measures.

Their precaution had payed off and they'd all escaped.

Now they were even more underground. With members in all four houses they were a sizeable movement and they had begun to actively undermine the ministry and Umbridge at Hogwarts.

Their subversion was met with resistance as was to be expected but it was working, even if slowly.

They'd even managed to get out information on what was happening inside Hogwarts to the general public via Rita Skeeter and pressure was growing for the ministry to do _something._

Backed into a corner and facing opposition from all sides Umbridge's clung to her tenuous position fiercely with her brutal tactics but everyone knew that the situation couldn't remain as it was much longer.

Sooner or later something was going to happen.

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The castle grounds were gleaming in the sunlight as though freshly painted; the cloudless sky smiled at itself in the smoothly sparkling lake, the satin-green lawns rippled occasionally in a gentle breeze: June had arrived, but to the fifth years this meant only one thing: Their O.W.L.s were upon them at last.

Their teachers were no longer setting them homework; lessons were devoted to reviewing those topics their teachers thought most likely to come up in the exams. The purposeful, feverish atmosphere drove nearly everything but the O.W.L.s from every fifth year's mind.

Meanwhile a flourishing black-market trade in aids to concentration, mental agility, and wakefulness had sprung up.

They'd been tempted to try some of them until they'd recognized dried doxy droppings among the offerings being passed off as powdered dragon claw.

Their cleaning over the summer it seemed had been good for something.

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	13. Chapter 13 - News Clippings

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**HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED ALIVE AND AT LARGE!  
**

_In a brief statement Friday night, the Ministry of Magic confirmed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be Named has returned to this country and is active once more._

"_It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord — well, you know who I mean — is alive and among us again," said Fudge,_

_looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ._

_We believe that the dementors are currently taking direction from Lord — Thingy. "We urge the magical population to remain vigilant._

_The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense that will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the_

_coming month." The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more."_

_. _

_._

**VAMPIRE AT THE MINISTRY, YOU-KNOW-WHO RETRUNS!'**

_**Vampiress Mircalla spotted at Ministry following attack by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!**_

_Sources inside the ministry report witnessing visiting __vampiress Mircalla; currently going by the name Carmilla, fighting against escaped Death Eater __Bellatrix Lestrange__, managing to critically injure and capture her. After You-No-Who's successful escape she proceeded to turn over a severely bleeding Lestrange to the custody of Ministry Aurors on the scene for healing and interrogation. The three hundred and sixteen year old vampire suffered minor abrasions and several gashes from an unidentified dark curse but was otherwise unharmed. _

_._

_._

_**SIRIUS BLACK INOCENT, CALLS FOR TRIAL!**_

**.**

**.**

**HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?**

_Rumours continue to fly about the mysterious re-cent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more. "We're not allowed to talk about it, don't ask me anything," said one agitated Obliviator, who re-fused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night. Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy. Though Ministry spokeswizards have hitherto refused even to confirm the existence of such a place, a growing number of the Wizarding community believe that the Death Eaters now serving sentences in Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft were attempting to steal a prophecy. The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns Harry Potter, the only person ever known to have survived the Killing Curse, and who is also known to have been at the Ministry on the night in question. Some are going so far as to call Potter "the Chosen One," believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid us of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The current whereabouts of the prophecy, if it exists, are unknown, although-_

_._

_._

**DOLORES UMBRIDGE ARRESTED, MINISTRY SANTIONED HIGH INQUISITOR TORTURED STUDENTS! **

_Children as young as twelve... blood quills... reported to have used Cruciatus curse on- _

**.**

**.  
FUDGE DEAD!**

_Early this morning Cornelius Fudge was found dead in his office... ongoing investigation... no comment. _

**.**

**.**

**RIOTS CONTINUE, FOUR DEAD!**

_Riots continue in the wake of wide spread outrage at Ministerial failings. _

**.**

**.**

**BONES SUCCEEDS FUDGE!**

_Amelia Bones, previously the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community, though rumours of a rift between the new Minister and head Auror __Rufus Scrimgeour__, surfaced within hours of Bones taking office. The Minister's representatives admitted that she had met with Dumbledore in the days following taking possession of the top job, but refused to comment on the topics under discussion. Albus Dumbledore is known to (ctd. page 3, column 2)._

**.**

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	14. Chapter 14 - Reflection

An: all I can say is there's a lot of drama this chapter. The world of wizarding politics is cutthroat –literally, and Fudge's government had a lot of enemies and opponents. Also I changed and added some stuff in the last chapter, so you might want to give that a look before continuing.

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Sitting in a chair at Grimmauld place Harry reflected on the events of the past weeks, the Department of Mysteries, the sacking of everyone who had ever so much as been known to have associated with Fudge, the riots, the deaths, and the current preferred cutthroat tendencies of those who played the game of politics –literally.

Things had gone from bad to worse with Dumbledore's flight from the school in the face of the Ministry's attempt to capture him, culminating with an attempt to use the Cruciatus on him by Umbridge.

After that they'd fled, staying at Hogwarts was no longer tenable and they could do more good from outside it.

In the end Umbridge went completely mad and had to be dragged kicking and screaming from the castle when at last she was removed in the days following Fudge's downfall. The truth at last about what had been happening within the castle had finally come out into the open along with every other dark secret and dirty bit of laundry to Fudge's name.

They'd been at Grimmauld when the message had come in that Voldermort's Death Eaters had made an attempt on the Department of Mysteries where the prophecy was kept.

They had with the exception of a few all been apprehended. Voldermort himself had shown up at the last minute and managed to whisk away several, but not before being identified by a half dozen witnesses and even one lucky reporter with a camera who had been visiting one of the department heads to ask questions about a rumoured vote of no confidence against Fudge.

Dumbledore hypothesized that the creation of so many horcruxes had been damaging to Voldermort's sanity. Certainly his actions had been markedly less sane than they had been during his first rise to power and he now seemed almost maniacal.

In any case his face had been plastered across newspapers hours later with headlines screaming of his return and botched attempt to access one of the most heavily fortified places in the country.

The days following made the French Revolution look civilized by comparison. There had been rioting in the streets of Diagon alley and Hogsmeade, and a man with previously suspected death eater ties had been publically lynched by an angry mob.

The inevitable coup against Fudge's establishment which had been brewing for several years had been immediate and bloody. Several of his supporters had been found dead several days later and several more vanished seemingly overnight, either having fled the country or having been 'disappeared', by opposing political factions.

Fudge himself had been found in his office a day latter laying face down having been poisoned and it was not sure whether it was an assassination or if he'd committed suicide.

Amelia Bones had been the one to at last emerge victorious from the political scramble for Fudge's now vacant position.

Meanwhile the hunt for the Horcruxes had come to temporary standstill while Dumbledore was forced to deal with the current political situation in Britain at the moment, though he had recently begun investigating the old Gaunt home and was set to continue looking once the situation had calmed down.

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Lately Laura had been coming down later, she rarely missed breakfast but she was often noticeably sleepier and Carmilla frequently made everyone present blush furiously whenever she made suggestive comments about 'rubbing off' on her.

It wasn't until they noticed her slightly too sharp looking canines when she yawned that they thought anything off it. She seemed the same as ever, maybe a little paler, her skin a little clearer, her hair a little thicker and healthier looking. The changes were so tiny that they didn't know if they were seeing things that weren't there or if what they privately suspected might be happening, if it hadn't already.

"You don't think that she's, you know... do you?" Ron seemed somewhat uncomfortable about the prospect. Hermione though seemed to accept it without much discomfort.

"Well I suppose it was only a matter of time, I don't see Carmilla as someone who'd let herself be alone for the rest of her life if she had the chance for Laura to be as long lived as her."

Harry hadn't really ever thought about it but he supposed Hermione was right, it seemed like it would have been the natural progression of things. Short of the unexpected early death of one of them their relationship seemed like it could only inevitably conclude in what they suspected to be happening now.

"Do you reckon she'll go around bitting everyone for awhile or do you suppose someone will only have to rein her in when she gets hungry?"

Hermione gave a roll of her eyes, idly turning a page of her book. "Carmilla doesn't seem very bite happy Harry."

"Yeah well I don't know how much of that's because she's been like that for so long." "If you suddenly got the urge to bite things you might not even notice it half the time, I mean you used to bite pencils sometimes without noticing it when you were working really hard on something."

"Yes, well," she flushed, "I'm sure Laura will be able to stop herself if she gets the urge to drain us all of our blood."

Hitting him with her book at the look he was giving her she gave him a reprimanding scowl for good measure. "Oh stop grinning at me, you know I haven't done that in years, the only one doing any bitting these days is Carmilla."

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An: I always thought that they should never have been able to get into the Department of Mysteries since it was basically the equivalent of a magical black site and under the bowls of the Ministry itself no less, if Voldermort was able to get Death Eaters in full regalia in there so easily then no way would he have had any problem taking down the ministry or getting into Hogwarts.


	15. Chapter 15 - A Case of Lover's Bite

An: Sorry for the long wait. I wanted to bring a little light to the tensions of the real world at the time, so you'll see a little of that this chapter. It's going to be a little shorter than usual.

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Horace Slughorn was in a word, opulent. He liked his comforts and was reluctant to give them up. Exceedingly well connected he had frequently enjoyed the endless stream of favours and gifts his connections brought, it was rather strange then Harry found, that he seemed to have been leaving in near complete seclusion for the better part of two years.

Dumbledore had asked for his company to aid in his efforts to hire the old potions master.

He'd gotten rather excited when Harry had mentioned Carmilla –who had once gone by Mircalla, was currently a guest of his new guardian, the recently exonerated head of the Black family.

Even in hiding he kept up to date with the latest news.

In the end Slughorn didn't take as much convincing as Dumbledore seemed to be expecting.

"–much safer without that idiot Fudge in charge, never liked him, and with that friend of yours around, well..."

"Humph, well I suppose with Bones in charge it's as safe as it's going to get with things the way they are... I'll be wanting a pay raise you hear me!"

Dumbledore for his part had just smiled serenely while Harry watched on bemused as Slughorn spouted off a long list conditions and provisions.

Later lying in bed after they had returned to the Burrow where Harry had spent a good portion of the summer break, hopping between Grimmauld Place and the Weasley house, he wondered to himself just how far Carmilla's connections spread.

.

Lately the Weasley children had taken to escaping to Grimmauld Place to escape the rising temper building within Mrs. Weasley that made her unbearable to be around at times. She was as Ron so aptly put it, liable to "explode and blow her top" at any given moment. Fleur's presence was a constant source of contention.

Thankfully they usually managed to avoid being near the Weasley matriarch when she really got started by retreating to the Order's headquarters most days.

It was on one of these days that Ginny had accidently stumbled upon a rather shady looking business discussion between Carmilla and the twins who had recently opened up their rather suspiciously successful joke shop.

Having visited it all could agree that the success was definitely earned, but what was suspicious was how even with the thousand Galleons Harry had given them – most of which had undoubtedly been spent on the research and development of new products, they had been able to acquire a building on the main street of Diagon Alley; a real estate market notoriously hard to break into.

The three now seemed to have formed some form of unholy allegiance in the wake of their reconciliation following the vividly remembered lost buttocks debacle.

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Something was defiantly up with Laura. Lately her skin had been looking paler and her canines were notably longer than they had been.

So far there had been a silent consensus not to bring it up, but everyone had noticed it.

To Harry's amusement Luna had commented on the change when he and Laura on a mission into the nearby village for eggs after the twins had done something funny to the one's that had been at the Weasley house.

She loudly congratulated Laura on her contraction of Lover's Bite –a semi rare disease of the same family of Loser's Lurgy, accompanying her prognosis with a knowing look before turning to greet Harry.

It had been his turn to blush scarlet when she'd planted a chase kiss on his check when she'd bid them farewell.

Laura recovered from her own fit of spluttering and blushing had ribbed him all the way back to the house.

Secretly Harry was glad to see such shows of good cheer continuing unabated by the current tense climate of wizarding and muggle Britain... even if this time it was at his expense.

The tense political climate had calmed only minutely in the past weeks. Rashes of mysterious disappearance not solely the work of Voldermort or his followers continued to fill newspaper headlines as wizarding and muggle Britain was thrown into turmoil as competing factions vied for power. Death Eaters, Voldermort, guilds, unions, Irish nationalists and English patriots, there were a thousand different groups, all with different and often conflicting ideologies.

It wasn't just wizards either, muggle tensions had been taught for the better part of the last century with two world wars and what could justifiably been called a British civil war by some still fresh in the minds of the populace as new age IRA expatriates and newer groups voiced their dissatisfaction with the world with bombings and marches as the world stood on the precipice of another global conflict as America and the Soviets Cold War raged on.

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An: It's no Loser's Lurgy but Lover's Bite was a little something I came up with, it's Luna speak for Laura's current condition.


	16. Chapter 16 - Moon Toads

An: so here it is after the long wait, sorry it took so long.

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September first found them all scrambling to pack in their annual frantic rush to reach King's Cross on time. Thankfully they were spared a repeat of last year's incident now that Fred and George were no longer attending Hogwarts and thus didn't feel the need to send their school trunks hurtling into unfortunate siblings and passersby.

Further uncomplicating things was the fact that the twins and Carmilla were currently absent and unable to see them of as they were in Assyria of all places for 'business reasons'.

Instead they were escorted by Ministry Aurors after gathering at Grimmauld place via Floo. A now noticeably paler Laura accompanied them.

Thankfully they managed to arrive without incident with a record full twenty minutes to spare.

After saying their goodbyes they split up, Ron and Hermione leaving to go to the prefects' carriage while Harry found a carriage.

Luckily he ran into Neville and Luna in the corridor talking with a couple of other fellow D.A. conspirators just as the stares started to become too much.

People stared shamelessly as he approached. They even pressed their faces against the windows of their compartments to get a look at him.

He'd been expecting but not quite prepared for the upswing in the amount of gaping and gawping he would have to endure this term after the events of the summer following the D.A.s' and his own narrow escapes from the castle that had followed the now legendary flight of the Weasley twins in the wake of Dumbledore's own fabled escape from Ministry Aurors and Umbridge herself along with the now deceased ex-Minister.

Sighing in relief he finally made his way through the throng of people cramming the hallway to greet Neville and the others.

"Hello, Harry."

"Luna, hi, how are you?"

"Very well, thank you," he had to steel himself not to blush as she smiled up at him.

Glancing down he noticed the magazine she was clutching to her chest proudly pronounced in large letters that there was a pair of free Spectrespecs inside.

"Quibbler still going strong, then?" asked Harry, who felt a certain fondness for the magazine, given all the support it had given him and the D.A. helping to spread word of what was happening to the outside. By the time of the D.A.s' 'departure' even Malfoy had been helping to smuggle the publication news, he still had the scars to prove it.

"Oh yes, circulation's well up," said Luna happily, and Harry was torn from his thoughts of Malfoy and the strange relationship they now shared; not quite enemies but not quite friends.

He found himself smiling unwittingly at the happiness she exuded.

"Err... let's find seats shall we," said Harry, and the three of them set off along the train through hordes of silently staring students. At last they found an empty compartment, and Harry hurried inside gratefully.

They spent the rest of the ride talking and catching up until they'd all three been pulled away from a four way game of Exploding Snap with Ron, to attend an impromptu lunch with Slughorn where found himself sitting across from a sickly looking Draco.

Squashed next to an uncomfortably close Luna, looking at him Harry couldn't help but think he looked ill.

.

Come October Harry had his first 'lesson' with Dumbledore. It was in fact in actuality to be a meeting with an Austrian Unspeakable on loan from Northern America, LaFontaine, a friend of Laura's Carmilla had sent in her stead.

A plan for the removal of his Horcrux had at last been finalized.

Harry was a little unnerved by her eagerness to experiment and fondness for invasive procedures and needles.

In the end the procedure was relatively painless and he spent most of it unconscious or so dosed up on potions that he might have well have been unconscious.

Luckily the 'lesson' had been scheduled for a Friday so no one could question his failure to attend the next day's lessons.

When he finally recovered from the ordeal enough to sit up in bed he felt cleaner somehow like a weight he'd never noticed had suddenly been lifted from him.

Sitting in bed in the hospital wing madam Pomfrey having long walked off after prodding him with a half dozen different sharp wand movements and feeding him a strange blue potion at the Unspeakable's request, he took in the Owl sitting patiently on his bedside table.

_Harry, thought you might want to know._

That was what the note said. No postscript, no other note, just that single sentence.

Flipping it over he noticed that it was from Laura.

Curiously he grabbed the paper that had accompanied the note; it was in some foreign language that might have been French but had English translations underneath.

There right under_ \- Are Moon Toads real? pg 4,_ was: _Wanted British fugitive Fenrir Greyback bounty cashed pg 5_

The next day at breakfast there was an outbreak of gasps at the delivery of copies the morning edition of the Daily Prophet arrived with the rest of the morning's mail, headline screaming of Greyback's capture.

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An: Luna got invited along to Slughorn's lunch due to her connection to the Quibbler, along with being a known member or 'suspected' member of the D.A. who are a pretty infamous student movement. Again sorry for the long over due update, I was a little stumped for ideas of where to go with this.


	17. Chapter 17 - Fenrir part I

An: This chapter I took some liberties to flesh out some of Carmilla's back story, most of it isn't cannon (as far as I know) for anything but this story in particular.

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She hadn't had this much fun in years... ok well that was a lie, but Laura with her goody-goody morals usually kept her from cutting loose and going on a good old fashioned murderous rampage like she'd sometimes used to back in the days of peasants and pitch forks and sometimes she just really needed to murder something and a feral pack of werewolves that had strayed from their territory was a good as anything.

She didn't usually hunt wolves for sport but maybe there was something to the ideas about vampires and werewolves hating each other that had been perpetuated by modern story tellers after all, if she wasn't careful she might end up making a habit of it, this was _fun_.

It had been a surprise to find Voldermort's attack dog outside of the isles. Werewolves of Greyback's sort didn't usually stray from their territory.

She didn't particularly like dark lords; she generally didn't particularly like anybody really. She was perfectly happy being ambivalent. Dumbledore was her friend though so she'd help him, and Laura, she was still the same girl she met at Silas a little paler, a little older perhaps, but still as cheerful and bubbly and disgustingly goody-goody. She'd never let someone as vile as Greyback and his dark lord run around unchecked without trying to help out. Oh and they were vile, the miserable little wretches.

Yes she would teach those _Futsau_ _Abschaum_ a lesson they would not soon forget and help her old friend where she could, while making Laura happy at the same time.

Three birds with one stone, it was the perfect plan and so far she'd been enjoying herself.

So here she was chasing down werewolves in a forest and having fun while Laura stayed safe and out of harm's way at their hotel. Laura for all her small size was tough and despite her relative youth and inexperience could probably take them but somehow she didn't think hunting down some _Fetznschädl_ wolves through a forest would be Laura's idea of _fun._

Oh well, Laura wouldn't be Laura if she did she supposed, and as infuriatingly stubborn as she could be at times Carmilla wouldn't have her any other way.

Glancing up she took note of the cloudy skies above, hopefully it didn't actually rain, but the reprieve from the sun mild as it might be here was welcome.

Laura would be happy that she was actually doing something productive and she would get to show some miserable, vulgar little worms their place before squashing them beneath her feet. Today was going to be fun.

The forest Fenrir and his pack had taken up residence in might serve as an advantage for them against almost any other foe but unluckily for them she was just as home here as they.

With a twist and flurry of black wings she split herself apart in a murder of crows.

It was appropriate she thought; today there would be a great deal of murder.

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After a glancing search from the air she decided that while idiots, Fenrir and his pack apparently did have some sense and had taken steps to hide their den.

She doubted she'd find many of the wolves wondering the forest so as she coalesced into a more human form she pondered briefly about how best to draw them out. The forest was quite large randomly searching wouldn't cut it.

The forest bristled in the breeze and the leaves at her feet were disturbed as she slowly began to walk, casting her senses out as she thought.

It wouldn't be fun if it was over to quickly so she would have to limit herself, if only a little.

Slowly an idea came to her, not even pausing in her stride she let out a deep breath of unnaturally chilly air. As she continued to exhale her breathe slowly began to form into a long wisp of fog like mist that twisted and curled in the air.

Raising a hand she ran her hands along it almost an owner would a pet. Slowly the mist took the shape of a simplistic ghostly figure reminiscent in shape of a cat with long trailing ears.

With a final gentle caress she sent it darting out amongst the trees, tiny ethereal wisps drifting in its wake.

Halting she leapt upwards taking to the tress above.

Taking a seat on a particularly enticing limb she took out the blade she'd carried with her.

The sword of Hastur was all well and good but she much preferred the slender sabers and elegant rapiers of her ancestors. She was proud to say they would do the job just fine thank you very much.

Deadly in their elegance they were far more suited to someone of her size and slender build.

She remembered with fondness her _papa's _many lessons and the many 'battles' they had fought all about their home; she'd had an unusual education for a girl of her time.

He had been eccentric but she had loved him dearly and he had always doted on her. Her _mama_ had died when she was very little and it had only been her and _papa _and their servants and frequent guests and visitors alone in their ancestral Schloss.

She cherished the memories of her childhood, they had been all that kept her from giving into despair many dark days under her forced servitude to her '_mother'._

_Papa _had _t_aught her to ride a horse and fight with a saber and all the other things and more that a man of those times was expected to.

She had been wilful even then she mused with a almost wistful smile. She'd been so full of fire, how it had galled her to be shackled to that _Schlampe_.

Her poor _papa_ had expired of sadness at her death.

Shaking herself she brought her attention to the mist creation that had returned bearing news of muddy claw prints, putting away for now the memories of her childhood.

Sure enough when she arrived there were muddy prints littering the small clearing when she arrived.

Unbidden a smile came to her face, let the hunt begin.

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An: The foreign looking italicized words an Austrian/German swear words.

If anyone actually speaks German or an Austrian variant feel free correct me on any mistakes no or in the future.

_Translations:_

_Futsau – cunt pig_

_Abschaum – scum _

_Fetznschädl – idiot _

_Schlampe - bitch_

_Schloss - castle_


	18. Chapter 18 - Fenrir part II

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She found them in a small clearing.

There were two of them, a man and women.

Watching through the beady eyes of a crow she watched as they sniffed at the air half heartedly before grumbling to each other about something.

She wondered what they were doing, perhaps some kind of sentry posting? If so they didn't seem to be taking their jobs very seriously.

If she had deigned to wait she could have no doubt followed them back to the rest of the pack.

Instead stilling herself she let out a loud echoing caw, she didn't need to follow them to find their hidey-hole, she had... _other_ methods. The two below jolted at the sudden sound and began looking around nervously.

Werewolves were almost guaranteed wolf animagi, it was a talent most ignored but some, especially in a pack like this, would no doubt possess. Perhaps one of them would lead her on a good chase if she let them run.

With a thought she deadened the noises of their little patch of forest. The eerie silence that followed only served to further unnerve the two wolves.

Satisfied that she had suitably set the mood she decided to have a little bit more fun before she called their attention to her.

Slowly languorously she stretched herself out along the branch she had been occupying.

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Stebbins had been grumbling to himself about something like usual when there had been a sudden, loud caw from somewhere nearby.

Not normally superstitious she'd felt a chill overtake her at the sudden eerie quiet that had overtaken the forest in the wake of the crow's cry.

Anna Faust hadn't always been a werewolf. Born in London to a German mother and English farther she'd led are relatively happy life before she'd been bitten and turned as a child. From then on life had been hell. She hadn't been a witch and though she'd been given some small manner of power by the curse she'd been afflicted with it hadn't been enough to stop the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her new 'family'.

Wizarding prejudice being what it was she hadn't had anyone to turn to who might have helped her.

And so for the last ten years she'd been tied to Greyback's pack unable to leave.

It was far from ideal but at least she still had her life.

She was torn from her dark musings when the disgusting creature who wore the skin of the man beside her suddenly turned around wand whipping out in front of him making her almost jump out of her skin in fright at the sudden movement.

"Do you hear that?"

"What, I don't hear anything," she grunted out irritably. Stebbins was always so twitchy, probably all those potions he liked to sniff she sneered internally.

Honestly why did she have to have been sent with him she thought to herself as the idiot's eyes continued to dart around.

She was about to tell him just how much of an idiot she though he was being when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.

With a spin of her own she whirled around just in time to see a shadowy figure flit through the trees.

"Something's here," she hissed to Stebbins before louder, "Who's there!"

The only answer she received was a shout from Stebbins as a crow burst from amongst a tree next to him in a flurry of wings and a faint whispering filled the air.

Then suddenly a voice whispered from amongst the others, right between them. "Plautus said 'Man is not man, but a wolf to those he does not know'."

They whirled looking for the source of the voice finding themselves facing one another with nothing but empty air between.

Then the voice spoke again, this time as they turned they found a women, eyes luminous and slit like a cats gazing out at them from the gloom.

"I wonder, are you a wolf dressed as a man or a man dressed as a wolf?"

The woman Anna thought looked as if she'd been there all along. _How did we not notice her_?

She lay languorously spread out like a cat along a branch high above the ground and her altogether disquietingly relaxed demeanour was unnerving.

"Who the hell are you?!"

And there went Stebbins the stupid idiot shouting and puffing up ready for a fight. Anna didn't want to be hear she wanted to run, oh how badly she wanted to run, whoever this stranger was she was dangerous and Stebbins was going to start a fight she could tell. He was just like all the rest of them, stupid and aggressive and she wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Me?"

The stranger's voice rung out from behind them and they whirled to find her now sitting on another branch of a tree across from where she had previously been lying.

"I suppose," she said as she stood somehow managing to balance effortlessly on her narrow perch and drawing a sword from a scabbard Anna hadn't noticed until then, "that I'm a wolf."

And then she struck.

She leapt downwards at an angle and flashed forwards with a burst of speed sword in hand.

The woman whoever she was was fast.

Stebbins managed to get off a curse but it missed entirely and then she was on him.

There was a long almost lazy stroke of her blade in a movement more line with a brush stroke and in its wake trailed a long line of silver in the air.

With a scream Stebbins collapsed to his knees clutching the bleeding stump where his shoulder had one connected to his arm.

Anna's muscles wouldn't move and she screamed at herself to _run_ as the stranger eyed the panting man before her dispassionately.

"But it doesn't matter; you _Loup Garou_ are just a dog pretending to be a wolf."

And then with a flick of her blade Stebbins head went rolling and Anna _ran_.

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An: So I kind of went with a cross between Alucard and the Cheshire cat with a little bit of underworld thrown in here, hope it didn't feel too weird. Carmilla seems like the type to play mind games with her opponents and mess with them then stomp all over them with their own incompetence, pathetic though they may be.

_Translations:_

_Loup Garou – werewolf (French) _


	19. Chapter 19 - Fenrir part III

An: So production for season 2 has started I'm excited. Also some of you might have noticed I've gone back and added chapter tittles, tell me what you think.

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She didn't need to chase the girl she'd frightened but she let her go anyway, with luck she'd go running back to the other's and they'd all gather together in one place thinking they'd have strength in numbers.

Wolves after all worked better in packs. Besides she had other methods.

An obscure blood talent that allowed her to take a person's memories from their blood, usually it involved actually drinking the blood in question from which the memories were drawn but she had no inclination to so intimately taste the essence of one so vile.

Instead she merely called forth the memories she sought held within the now headless body at her feet and distilled them with a whisper and a wave.

From them she divined the location that the wolves would no doubt be converging upon, readying themselves to do some hunting of their own.

It would seem Fenrir had chosen a location some miles hence for his den.

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It was a shame really she thought as she danced to the side of a rather lacklustre curse while battering away a stunner of all things, Werewolves had once been the things of nightmares, wild and untameable, now they were for the most little more than slobbering dogs.

With a flick of her wrist she transfigured a nest of vipers from the roots of a nearby tree, setting them on the unlucky werewolf who'd been trying to use the trunk for cover. He wasn't able to react in time to undo the transfiguration not that he would have been able to, and he fell writhing.

It might not be the full moon but they should have been so much better than... this_._

It disturbed her that things were not as they should be.

So much had changed since her time.

Even now years later she was still catching up, spending seventy odd years locked in a coffin was a long time and hadn't helped. Modern technology still sometimes got the better of her; though she liked to think she was at least as capable as most humans.

Werewolves though...

It wasn't just _Loup Garou _either, what had happened during the last two centuries?

Mother had kept her all but chained to her side so she hadn't but rarely strayed from civilization or even kept up with the wider world at large, what was the point after all? Better to not torment herself with impossibilities.

_Happy thoughts_ she reminded herself, she was free now, no more befriending innocent girls to send to their deaths.

Still...

Almost idly she broke herself out her reverie to snap the leg of one of Greyback's idiots who had gotten to close.

"_Bitch!"_

Smirking she decided that she was going to finally get a chance to use that line she'd been dying to use ever since she'd heard it.

Normally cats were more her thing but she could make an exception for this.

Thank god not all modern vampires were as pathetic as the ones in the movies Laura had misguidedly tortured her with when she'd been tied to that chair.

"Guess that makes you dog food."

Really honestly how had she not thought being forced to watch something like would be anything other than insulting?

Besides real vampires were so much better!

"And now you're dog shit!"

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The muffled screams coming from the giant six eyed dogs head she'd spent hours perfecting when Laura wasn't looking made it all worth it.

Laura probably would have disapproved but she had to do something to amuse herself when she wasn't around to bug and the looks on the faces of the nearby watchers was nearly enough to get her to crack a smile... nearly.

Condescending smirks were more her thing anyway according to Laura.

_Well time to clean up here and more onto the real mess._

Greyback had preferred to stay in his stupid cave where he'd been lurking for the last week or so from what the memories she had gathered had told her, some nonsense about staying true to his animal nature and abandoning his humanity the way that humans had abandoned them or something.

That's why she hadn't been able to find him, no clever spells or carefully hidden wards, no, she hadn't been able to find him because he was sitting in a stupid cave of all places.

It very much irked her, and she took that irritation out on the gormless ingrates she'd spent the last five minutes dancing around waiting for them to get serious until she'd realized that this was the extent of their ability.

With a blurring motion she let her body fade from sight to be replaced by a clamour of screaming crows that tore at the wolves as she moved amongst their midst concealed by the birds that tore at them.

Idly she set one on fire as she passed before tearing another's mind to shreds, leaving him on the leaf covered ground with blood pouring from every orifice. The only one so far who had showed any kind of dissatisfaction with the disgusting life they led had been the girl she'd let run.

She'd have to do something with her later. Once she might not have been able to bring herself to care for the girl's plight, crushing all stirrings of emotion beneath the icy visage she had crafted for herself in order to harden her heart against the tasks her mother forced her to carry out.

Now though, now she was free and she couldn't bring herself to leave another chained like she had been.

Pushing away thoughts better saved for another time she continued on through the werewolves' ranks slowly but surely decimating them.

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At last half an hour after she had dealt with the last wolf she finally found herself perched overlooking the cave Greyback was in.

She hadn't made any attempt to hide her scent or conceal herself, though she was probably too well hidden by the leaves and branched around her for him to see. It didn't matter though he'd be able to smell her.

Idly she noted it had started to rain. All about her drops slowly started to fall. They splashed about the leaves and branches above, bouncing off and breaking apart into smaller beads before succumbing to gravity and once again heading towards the soil below as they continued onwards.

Overcome with a sudden sense of whimsy she couldn't resist stretching her hand out, a tiny puddle forming in the centre of her palm. With an errant thought she made the puddle swirl into a gentle whirlpool, twisting into concentric circles until she let it drain away through her fingers.

Laura's childishness must have been getting to her. Wistfully she recalled Laura's propensity for splashing in puddles.

A movement at the edge of the cave called an end to her reminiscing.

Eyes sharpening she drew her wand, she didn't really need it but it was good to practice with it occasionally; it looked like Greyback had decided to emerge.

Blocking out his boastful if uncreative shouts about what he would do to her when he caught her she dropped to ground.

It was time to see if he was a good as everyone seemed to think he was.

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They started off trading a series of brutal but effective spells; thought the blood curdling curse he threw at her would have only made her throw up her lunch more than anything, not that he knew that.

For all his viciousness and lack of anything resembling hygiene he was a skilled duellist. She didn't think he'd deduced what she was yet though, though he seemed to have some inkling.

Deciding to give him a hint she decided to respond to the mid-battle banter he never seemed to let up, making sure to flash a pair of suddenly very sharp teeth at him when she opened her mouth.

Eventually he got it after a comment about the good old days of impaling people on giant wooden spikes and drinking their blood.

Sadly while the conjured stakes were a nice addition he didn't quite seem to realize the position he was in.

_Must be a case of little dog syndrom_e, she mused. Well she'd just have to show him who was the top dog before she stuck him full of holes and drained him dry.

Chaining together a particularly difficult set of spells to distract him she threw in a few comments about her thoughts on his intelligence before advancing, carefully constructed whip of cursed fire in hand, extending from her wand tip ready to strike.

Cracking it she drove him back several steps as he fought to undo the hot iron chains tangling about his foot while dodging her ever shifting weapon.

Smirking she made sure to deliver a series of glancing blows that steamed and hissed as she withdrew.

Contrary to her words she didn't feel particularly inclined to touch his polluted blood, but that didn't mean she couldn't play with her food a little, even if she wasn't going to eat it.

It was she thought, the same way cats enjoyed knocking over full glasses.

Finally starting to seemingly understand that he was outclassed Greyback let out an almighty howl of pain at his newly inflicted wounds, eyes darting wildly as he resumed casting with a renewed vigour.

His spell casting almost doubled in speed and she was soon twisting herself through the air to dodge the rain of cruel iron spikes he sent at her. Catching one mid air she continued on with her twist using the momentum from the speeding blur of metal until she came full circle, now horizontal to the ground.

Gleefully she lobbed it back at him and danced to the side of a wolf he'd transfigured from a nearby boulder that lunged at her as soon as she landed.

Wand suddenly unnaturally sharp she plunged it down into the creature as it leapt past.

Now this was fun!

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Back and forth they went trading curses and transfiguring the nearby rocks and branches to attack each other with.

To her pleasure Greyback managed to last much longer than the others. He'd been as she'd expected of a werewolf. Unlike the rest of his pack he had failed to disappoint her with his vicious skill and instincts worthy of such a creature.

_But sadly all good things must come to an end_

During their fight the rain had only grown heavier until now it fell in torrential pour.

Greyback for all his skill was just a wizard, a little more skilled than most and far more vicious but he tired and bleed all the same.

Blood loss and fatigue was at last setting in.

Distracting him with a staccato of banished tree limbs she prepared to finish it.

With a good deal more concentration than most spells usually cost her she unleashed the large scale spell she'd been building up.

He'd impressed her enough for something a little flashier.

A very powerful curse originally intended as a suicide spell, it bound everything in its radius including the caster.

As soon as it took effect everything in a twenty metre radius of them _froze._

Outside their little bubble of halted time the rain continued to fall. She though didn't need to be able to move to make things happen.

Greyback's eyes if they were capable of moving would no doubt be darting about, as it were though he could only watch as the water falling unmoving from the sky slowly began to freeze over.

Directing the thousands of tiny razor sharp shards with her mind she held the spell freezing them in place even as she felt her body start to protest. Greyback though while a werewolf and more resilient than the average human looked like the spells effects were starting to effect him.

The spell she had used quite literally halted everything. That meant the air and blood inside of a person too. She was strong enough to survive it for long periods of time but others were not.

Greyback's eyes were bulging and he was pale and sickly looking, if she held the spell much longer he'd quickly start to die.

That was a little too boring of a way to go though.

She let the spell go and watched as Fenrir Greyback was torn to shreds and impaled upon a thousand gleaming shards of ice.

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Knocking on the door of their cabin a sodden Carmilla let out a cheery call.

"Honey I'm home."

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An: The quote was from Alucard for anyone that didn't get it. Though she tries to hide it she can be a bit of a dork when it comes to fictional vampires. And when it comes to vampires they don't get much better than him and somehow I think Carmilla might need something a little more 'traditional' to wash herself of the bad taste Laura's movies left her with.

Carmilla's trick with the water was actually inspired by the scene from Atla where Katara turned the rain into ice shards and Xemnas's final attack with the lasers in Kh2.


	20. Chapter 20 - An End

An: This might seem abrupt to some of you but chances are I'll start a sequel in a month or so picking up from where this left off when season 2 starts. Even if I don't you can be sure I'll write for Carmilla again in the future.

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Normally Laura didn't exactly mind the sight of a wet clothed Carmilla, but the appeal was quickly lost when she started dripping all over the carpet.

Quickly bundling her inside she detected a whiff of something that was most definitely blood.

With an exasperated sigh she set about helping her out of her clothes and into something a bit more dry.

"So what exactly were you doing out in the rain all day?"

At her look Carmilla turned her head a little, not quite meeting her eyes.

Over the years they'd been together she'd learned to read her like a book. The sort of half sheepishness she exuded was a dead giveaway; she had the look of a kid who'd been caught with their hand in the cookie jar about her.

"I don't suppose this has anything to do with the local werewolf sightings?"

Carmilla's silent refusal to fully meet her eyes was a good a confession as any.

Later as they lay in bed Laura held on extra tight.

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The return home had been enjoyable. They'd spent most of the last several years travelling, lingering anywhere from months to years at a time. Their time spent in London had been a bit anomalous.

While Ireland had been beautiful if possessed of somewhat unpredictable weather, Britain had not been particularly interesting, too developed for the most with little of interest after the greater part of a year spent there.

If not for Carmilla's friend they would likely not have lingered as long as they had, and indeed they'd no doubt return again sometime soon in the future.

Perhaps it was selfish but she wanted as little to do with their conflict as possible. It wasn't that she didn't want to help, the idealism of her youth had survived into adulthood mostly intact, but she'd had enough of senseless bloodshed to last her a very long time.

And time was something she was going to have a lot of.

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An: Thank you my wonderful readers for staying with this to the end. Hopefully I'll see you all again when next I take up writing stories for Carmilla once more. We'll just have to see what season two brings. Until then adieu.


	21. Chapter 21 -Possible Continuation Notice

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**Hey guys it's been awhile. **

**Lately with season 2 I've been thinking about continuing with this sometime soon, or maybe splintering it off a sequel like I said I might. **

**So firstly: would you be interested? and secondly: I don't really know where to go with things from here story wise if I do continue, so any ideas or suggestions would be a big help, even if they're not big.**

**I'll probably end up deleting this so it's probably better if you PM rather than review. **

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